Balance
by Lonely Loony
Summary: Blood boils inside Voyager, both green and red. This could bring a little equilibrium to the small Universe inside two lost souls.


**Star Trek doesn't belong to me. Only the Original Character, Ensign Cassandra "Cassie" Raymond is mine. ****No infrigement intended.**

**Clarifying:**

***Cassie is a "Mary Sue" (but I love her)**

***My first language is not English, so forgive me for any mistakes**

***I know as much about Engineering as I know about palm reading. If there are mistakes, please, don't hesitate to correct me. I did a lot of research. I could NEVER understand the jargons and all that physics crap. Never. :(**

**Thank you for reading and leave a review, if possible.**

* * *

Ensign Cassie Raymond was anxiously fighting for a promotion to become a full Lieutenant. Being a Xenolinguistic made her the only one who spoke most of the languages out of everyone wandering in the Delta-Quadrant. Cassie was extremely intelligent and had a special ability to learn languages quite fast. She learnt _Ocampan_ with Kes, _Talaxian_ from Neelix (he was quite the effusive tutor), was trying to teach herself every single bit of _Vidiian_ and _Kazon_ (even the variation in dialects), in order to help the Captain to form some kind of alliance with those two races (despite the Universal Translator, which Cassie_ despised_ for rendering her most of the time, useless). And now all that was left was to wait for the promotion that was sure to come. Captain Janeway was constantly complimenting her on her versatility and her competence. Cassie had a vast amount of free time, which she spent writing and pouring over books and translations, but when she got fed up with it all, she liked to pester people in Engineering (an area she would NEVER master, since she had always been terrible at anything involving calculus or physics). No wonder her favorite subjects had been Xenolinguistics and Creative Writing. Cassie pestered B'Elanna Torres so much, speaking flawless Klingon (that B'Elanna could hardly understand and it always resulted in irritating her and frustrating Cassie), complimenting her looks and such, that they both ended up becoming somewhat friends within those turbulent years on the Delta-Quadrant, where they had no prospect of ever going home, back to Earth. But Cassie didn't dare confess to Janeway how much fun she was having, so much more than if they were stranded on that squared, boring, overrated and limited Alpha-Quadrant.

Cassie had always been reckless and ambitious. She never cared much beyond reaching the nearly impossible goals she had set to herself. She only wanted to be the best she could and make herself proud. She_hated_ her mother, the only family she had on the other side of the galaxy. They had never, ever been on the same page. Celine Raymond had blue eyes like Cassie's but hers were cold, glacial. She couldn't spare a single loving glance towards her own daughter. As for her father, Cassie never knew who he was and whenever she tried to raise the issue, she was rewarded with a slap on the face by Celine and thus, the subject was entirely put aside.

So Cassandra J. Raymond had always felt she was an _alien._ Her place was amongst the stars, where there was the Universe.

So, she decided to join Starfleet. By the time she was sixteen she could already speak twelve of Earth languages by self-studying and then, she sent her application to Starfleet Academy and the rest was history. Life was good, or for the lack of a better word, _perfect_. She was an exemplary student, fell in love with Xenolinguistics and decided that that was the path she would follow. Plus, she also had a strange fascination, or better, _obsession_ with Vulcans. She wasn't particularly musical, but even learnt to play the lute from a fellow classmate. And she was proud, since by the end of the course she could play it quite well and the classmate even gave the lute to her, honored by her interest and dedication to learn how to play it. Unfortunately, after graduation, they never saw each other again.

Cassie was hopelessly romantic, especially when it came to the holodeck novels she liked creating. They were so romantic it bordered the corny. She didn't consider herself quite the writer material, but everybody on Voyager seemed to intensely enjoy her creations. So, she spent hours writing and dreaming of what she wanted to come true, without losing the perspective so her holonovels wouldn't get boring and sappy. They were considered _"interesting"_ and _" intense"_, according to the crew.

Cassie liked dreaming and was very imaginative. She played the lute, spoke many languages, was useful and contented.

Until she met… _him._

It was yet another day on Voyager and Cassie had _finally _been made Lieutenant, after her impressive ability of persuading a Kazon faction of not attacking the ship and they had _nearly _formed an alliance. So, in the end, The "Translator" couldn't substitute a human that well. Cassie was swollen with pride. She was now responsible for the negotiations. A "Diplomat", she could call herself.

She was coming back to her quarters to work on a book she was writing and entered the turbolift. And then, there _he _was. She couldn't, _wouldn't_ stop staring. She had never seen him before, how come? Or had she been way too focused on her work? Her mind was foggy. She realized she was _staring._ He stared back, intrigued.

He was unlike any Vulcan she had ever seen. He had that curious perfect skin and those bedroom eyes that sucked her into the first time he laid them on her.

"_Sickbay."_, he said, with a commandeering voice.

Her mouth was dry. She muttered, after he left, the number of the deck to go to her quarters. She wasn't even sure she had said it right. _Who was he?_

* * *

In the afternoon, things were peaceful, for a change. Cassie wasn't needed on the Bridge and decided not to go to the Holodeck. She had no idea why, but she had such fascination for the Engineering. Maybe because it was an impossible dream for her, to be an Engineer.

And there _he _was. Trying to control the plasma coolant that was perilously overheating. That much even she could say.

Cassie's heart beat like a humming bird's wings fluttering and her hands went shaky. _For a man she didn't even know._

And she had never been _so_ aware of a man as she was of him.

At night she would listen to romantic silly songs and cry herself to sleep.

No, this couldn't go on like that. She _had to do something_. Maybe she could speak with The Doctor, and ask him the cure for "being in love"? _"Because"_, she rationalized _"it was only a matter of hormones and chemical imbalance, wasn't it?"_

_Or_… She could do the unthinkable and ask for Vulcan advice from Mr. Tuvok.

At this absurd and _illogical _suggestion of her mind, she laughed. The best course of action, she thought, was to obviously tell her _best friend_ and Engineer_._ She knew B'Elanna didn't particularly consider _her _a "BFF", but Cassie really liked her.

"B'El…" Cassie whispered, "I need to talk to you about something."

"What, no _Klingon _today?" B'Elanna said, half smiling, holding some piece of equipment and not taking her eyes of what she was doing.

"It's… quite _urgent_."

At the desperate tone of the other girl, B'Elanna grunted, cleaned her forehead on her sleeve and said:

"Spill."

When she was about to 'spill', the man, that _Vulcan_, approached B'Elanna and started to talk to her about all sorts of Engineering jargons Cassie would never understand and, noticing Cassie, politely said,_"Oh, hello"_ to what the girl turned as white as a sheet and couldn't even mumble an answer. Her tangled thoughts only sang, inconveniently:

_"You had me at hello (Hello)_  
_Hello (Hello)_  
_Hello (Hello)_  
_You had me at hello (Hello)_  
_Hello (Hello)_  
_Hello (Hello)_  
_It was many years ago (Ago)_  
_Baby, when you stole my cool_  
_Cuz you had me at hello (Hello)_  
_Hello (Hello)_  
_Hello oooooh"_

Great timing, Beyoncé.

B'Elanna, aware of the strange interaction, asked:

"Do you two know each other?"

"Not particularly. I saw her in the turbolift today, I had no idea she worked in Engineering."

"She doesn't", said B'Elanna, dryly. "Cassie, are you okay?"

"She looks like she is about to faint." observed the Vulcan.

"I'm _fine!_", said Cassie, a little impolitely. "Who are you, Mr. Vulcan, who I've _never _seen before, despite my constant haunting Engineering? Where have you been?"

_"__Where have you been all my life?"_ she thought, stupidly.

"My name is _Vorik_. I used to be in charge of the warp nacelles and also spent most of the time in the Jefferies tubes."

"Um, sure… My name is Cassie…" she said, offering a shaky hand. "Cassie Jane Raymond."

Vorik didn't touch the hand, but arched one eyebrow and said, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant. Now I just have to go, there is so much to do."

He left and Cassie's hand fell, limp.

"_What the hell was that?!"_ B'Elanna asked, bewildered.

"The story of my fucking life!" Cassie said, leaving Engineering, mortified.

* * *

_3:55_

Cassie couldn't sleep. She was a rational human being. She was an accomplished, mature and independent 26 years old single woman. She was writing several holonovels, she could speak more languages than her own age and now, there she was, pining for a man she had barely even met!

It was her cruel's mother fault, for never telling her about her _father_!

"_No, don't think about your father, or worse, your witch of a mother!"_

She was going to listen to Lana Del Rey until she punished herself enough, eat lots of chocolate fudge and work, sleep deprived and miserable.

She had this strange_ "thing"_ for _Vulcans_. Thank _Joseph_ Tuvok was _happily married._ And now that cute boyish Vulcan crossed her path…

Yep, time to change the music and listen to some Taylor Swift.

So much for '_maturity'. _She didn't even "_feel like 22_", she felt like 15. She listened to Taylor singing and felt quite pathetic...

_"Cause when you're fifteen _  
_And somebody tells you they love you _  
_You're gonna believe them_  
_And when you're fifteen feeling like _  
_There's nothing to figure out_  
_Well count to ten, take it in _  
_This is life before you know who you're gonna be _  
_Fifteen"_

Yeah, when she was fifteen she had believed that human boy, Jordan. He had, successfully, made quite a mess with her head. That's why she would _never_ date a human again.

Maybe she should listen to something different.

Why not do something crazy, just like Britney Spears taught her how to? After all, she'd done her homework and knew where Vorik's quarters were located. _"Call me obsessed."_ she thought, listening to her 21st century favorite songs. Yeah, she loved nostalgia. It was part of the hopeless romantic in her.

She chose the audio track and considered the possibilities of becoming a 'Femme Fatale'…

* * *

Meanwhile, someone was disturbed on his own bedroom, trying to meditate, thinking hot dreams or of destroying all the furniture…

_Damn Pon farr._

Vorik couldn't live with himself. That morning, soon, he would pledge his ardour to B'Elanna and she would be _his mate_, no matter the consequences. His blood boiled with just the thought. The Doctor hadn't been able to help him. Everything was useless.

He felt like he was _dying._ Oh, he needed_ it. Oh, he needed it. _His blood _sang_.

There was someone at the door. Who could that be, disturbing his knotted thoughts at this hour?

"Miss Raymond?!", he asked, perplexed. Now there stood a beautiful girl, with long, messed dark wavy hair, wearing nothing but a pair of baby-pink short pajamas, screaming innocence and heat. A _nightmare_ come true.

But her concerns were headed towards another direction. _"So he knows who I am! At least he has taken some notice of me."_

"Mr. Vorik.", she tried to sound casual. "May I come in?"

"Miss Raymond, this is not a good time…"

But she entered even so and the situation was _so _delicate she couldn't know the position she had put herself into.

"What do you _want_?" he sounded angry, or to put it mildly, _in pain._

"I… um… I need to talk." there goes the "Femme Fatale" façade, with her voice starting to crack.

"What could be so urgent that you couldn't wait until duty hour to… _'talk'_?"

"Well, you don't seem to be getting much sleep yourself", she observed. "Have you also a problem?"

"That's none of your concern." He replied, more harshly than he intended and she flinched.

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes filling against her will, _damn it_, "It was a stupid idea. Bye."

"No, wait." He held her by the arm, with a grasp a little more forceful than he had intended, but at least she stopped. "It must be urgent. Please, say what you need. I've been going through a difficult situation. It's not your fault."

"Um… Could you please let go of my arm? It hurts like crazy, you're going to break it. Let me go, please?"

He hadn't even noticed he was still holding her poor thin arm. It was probably bruised right now.

Indeed he seemed to be going through some kind of 'struggle'. But it was not her place to bombard him with questions.

Now that she had her chance, she was there, frozen.

Then, she saw _it_. Her _opportunity._

"Do you also play the lute, Mr. Vorik?"

"The lute?" he asked, distracted. "Why? I play, of course. But not very well."

"May I?" she asked, politely.

"Of course." He replied, curious.

She started playing it, perfectly, flawlessly. He was astonished. And suddenly, the music filling the room made him feel calmer.

After a few minutes she stopped playing and he asked, intrigued:

"How come you know how to play the lute?"

"I know because it is my business to know", she replied, putting the instrument back where it was, "I know nearly everything about Vulcans. Everything there is available to be studied, at least. My thesis at the Academy was about Vulcan Culture, Language and Society."

She could _swear_ she saw the curve of a smile crossing his lips.

"Why?"

"Um… I don't know, maybe… Because I've _always_ tried to be more… _rational_ but I always blow everything with my being way too emotional."

"Look, Miss Raymond… You were nothing but sincere with me. You deserve from me the same honesty. I'll just ask you not to divulge anything I say to you in this room."

"I… um… Of course, I will not… um… _divulge_ anything. You have my word."

"How much do you know about _Pon farr_?", he blurted.

"Oh.", was all she said. _Now_ she knew where he was getting at. Her eyes darkened with the intensity of her desire and that also surprised him. Her reaction was completely unexpected.

"Well, I could build a relationship with a Vulcan and maybe it would bring a 'balance' to it all.", she said. "But unfortunately, I realize Vulcan marriages are all arranged…"

Her blue eyes were sparkling. She wanted, she _needed_ to kiss him. But she didn't _dare_. Where was this conversation heading, anyway?

"Oh.", he said, not breaking eye contact. "Well, we are so far from home that we have to make do with what we have here. We don't even know if there is a possibility of getting back home. So, the _logical_solution should be to choose a mate here."

She licked her lips, nervous, desiring.

"Have you already chosen your mate?" she asked, hopeful.

"As a matter of fact, I have. But… circumstances and choices can change-"

Before he could breathe and finish the sentence, her mouth covered his, hungrily. Her tongue started exploring, avid, touching his and showing him just a tiny bit of what expected him.

"Wait…", he pulled apart, panting. "Wait. Oh, my… Aren't you… _Voracious_? Don't provoke me like that. You're so frail, I could hurt you."

"Come on, Vorik. Come and get me." She said, teasing, pretending to run. He caught her and threw her on his bed, pinning her arms and kissing her none-too-gently. Teeth scraping, tongues twisting, lips bleeding red and green.

"Yes!" she roared like a Klingon female. Suddenly, there was a _beast_ inside her. She clawed and tore and begged.

Vorik was _hating_ his Pon farr a few hours ago… now he was _thoroughly _enjoying it.

* * *

"And you won't explain just how you fractured your left arm and a rib, twisted both wrists, broke three fingers and is bruised all over? What did you fight during sleep, Miss Raymond? A Klingon Warrior and an army of Cardassians?"

The Doctor was astonished at seeing how badly Cassie had woken up. Kes also couldn't come up with an explanation and the girl just wouldn't say what happened.

"It was just a dream that was too vivid and intense. Just treat me and all will be fine. Please, Doctor. No need to fuss."

"That's not good enough. I will have to notify the Captain."

"NO!", Cassie shrieked, in panic. Vorik was _so _private, like all Vulcans, about his Pon farr, and this would simply spread like wildfire. She would have to come up with a story. She left Vorik there, still asleep, so he wouldn't fret over her, but that had proved to have been a _very _bad idea.

Suddenly, no one but Vorik entered Sickbay.

"Cassie? What happened? Why did you leave like that?"

The Doctor made a grimace that confirmed he _finally _understood what had happened.

"So, Lieutenant… _He_ is the reason of so many bruises and broken bones? You should have told me right away."

Cassie flushed tomato red, mortified.

"Did I hurt her _that _bad?", Vorik asked, concerned.

"It was not your fault, Ensign. You were experiencing your first Pon farr. Just be more careful next time."

Vorik was _not_ happy at all with The Doctor's unnecessary comment and Cassie didn't dare to look at her lover. The Doctor went about his business while Vorik waited with all the dignity he could muster.

"You may go, Lieutenant", he said to Cassie, who immediately jumped from the Biobed and left Sickbay with Vorik.

"Um… Thanks for waiting for me."

"Thank _you_ for helping me through that difficult time of my existence."

Now, that was _awkward._ He kept his hands knotted behind his back and didn't even steal a glance at her!

"_Hey!_" that was rude, she knew, but she grabbed his arm regardless and made him _look into her eyes._ "So that was it, then? I made you a _favor?_"

They stopped dead on the deserted corridor.

"You must understand one thing, Cassie, you of all people. You wrote a paper on Vulcans for Starfleet. We are not good with emotions."

"Vorik, that was not my question at all! So, I'm nothing to you, then?"

"Quite the contrary. Now we both have an enormous responsibility. You are my mate and I am yours. If we ever get to my home, we should get married. That's the logical decision."

"But… what about _love_?!"

"I am a _Vulcan_, Cassie. 'Love' is a _human_ concept. If you are prepared to accept what I have to give, we are then, bonded."

She felt puzzled… but well, she illogically loved him.

"Um… Okay. But can we hold hands?"

"Why? That attitude is illogical."

"_Because_, Vorik! Because I want to feel your hands on mine! Because we bring balance to each other's worlds!"

He arched one eyebrow, but acquiesced. And truth be told, he liked it very much, indeed.


End file.
